When I applied for disability 3 years ago I was not expecting to be approved on the first try, within 3 months. I had always heard that when you're young (30's are considered in young in the land of Social Security), and have a college degree, that you are almost certain to be denied at least once.
This prevented me from even applying for years. I wanted to share what I did do that helped me, that I hope will not only encourage you that it is possible to apply and be approved, but that it isn't as challenging as it may seem, IF you are prepared.
I'm gonna share with you tips that I learned along the way and tips that made it easier for me. This is by no means a guarantee, just my own experience.
1. )Disability binder: for me, I used a regular 3 ring binder and separated each category of records by dividers.
*Provider tab: you'll need all the clinical notes from all treating physicians ESPECIALLY from the last 6 months. List any doctors, hospitals, clinics, therapists, or ER's you've visited because of your condition.
-you'll need their contact information: easiest way is to just keep their business cards together because you'll need: address, phone number, fax number
-you'll need dates, the date of your first apt, last apt, next scheduled apt. This is where cards could come in handy too. And the treatment that was suggested at each appointment or visit.
*Diagnoses: diagnosing physician, I use a separate tab for each diagnosis. The more detail the better.
*Prescriptions: current medications, doses, prescribing information, why you take it, and side effects. Any allergic reactions you've had as well. Pharmacy print outs may helpful if they're needing to confirm you've tried a certain medication in the past.
*Imaging: for the purposes of the application the radiology reports and clinical notes are what you need most as opposed to the actual imaging disc. So, make sure to have any radiology reports and any clinical notes pertaining to any MRI's, X-RAY's, CT scans, Ultrasounds,etc in this tab.
*Tests & Procedures: ex: colonoscopies, EKG, biopsies, stress test, tilt table test, lab work, any and all tests.
-You're going to need who ordered the test
-the results of the test and any treatments suggested from the test.
-Information for where the test was performed, i.e. address, phone number, fax and of course dates
*Employment Information: up to 5 that you've had in the last 15 years. You need the date you became unable to work because of your condition. You'll need your job title, type of business, dates of employment, hours per day, hours per week, & rate of pay.
-you'll need the past 15 years of pay stubs(if you have them), W-2 forms, &/or self employment tax returns for past year. Employer name, address, phone number, supervisor name.
-amount of earnings for this year and last.
- be prepared to be very descriptive about your job duties, everything you were responsible for, any and all physical activity. This section requires a lot of information
*in this section I also include education information such as job training, trade school, vocational school, &/or college degree. You'll need addresses and phone numbers for each of those as well.
*Financial Information: you'll need your routing number, & bank account number for direct deposit since that is how they send pay. Have taxes and pay stubs ready.
*Symptom log: you can find free printable charts online. You'll need the onset, what makes your symptoms worse, & better. What you do for relief, what triggers your symptoms. Circumstances which symptoms began and date of onset. It's all about proving objectively, your symptoms.
*Surgeries: both inpatient and outpatient. Where the surgery was performed, date, surgeon and ordering physician if different, and the outcome. You'll also need the operative report, and any clinical notes directly pertaining to surgery and outcome.
*Hospitalizations: each ocurence, what it was for, how long you were there and the outcome. You'll need the names and addresses of hospitals as well as the treating/admitting physicians. Also, the admission date and discharge date.
2.) If I were to do it all over again I would not use an advocacy firm. I had a terrible experience and it delayed my application and approval by 2 years because I trusted them to apply for me (that was what they do, gather all your records and apply for you and all you have to do is sign off...supposedly) and they did not... I know, that was a bit naive of me. It wasn't until I took matters into my own hands and applied that I was approved.
3.) Apply online yourself, then consult with a disability attorney IF you are denied for help with the appeal. I had consulted with an attorney and even though I applied myself, I still had to cut them 10% of my back pay even though it was me who did the work. So, take it from me, wait to use the attorney until you need help with an appeal because I spoke with 4 different attorneys and all wanted me to apply myself first. They have very helpful information online from disability attorneys for free!
4. ) You don't have to gather all your records, or make a disability binder, or any of this . Social Security will do this for you. HOWEVER, if you go ahead and do this, it will make it easier for them, and therefore QUICKER for you. If time is a factor and you need to be approved or get your decision ASAP this will speed up the process.
5.) keep track of everything you've tried, all of it. Acupuncture, dry needling, cupping, holistic medicine, chiropractic, ALL OF IT. If you are anything like me and tried everything under the sun, you might even add a Treatments, or Alternative Treatments to your disability binder and gather those records.
I know it can seem daunting and overwhelming especially when you're so sick or in so much pain you can't work. If you choose to go this route, my suggestion is don't try to do it all yourself. Have someone help you gather your records. See how many of your Dr's will mail you your records or email them. For me, I had my PCP request my records and that made all the difference in the world. If you take anything away from this, I hope you feel a little less overwhelmed at the idea of applying for disability and a little more hopeful. Best of luck to you, you got this!
Jenny
you can apply online here
for a list of all the documents you'll need click here
